to the front door and peer inside. I was a little hesitant because I had heard that there were possible dark, demonic entities that reside inside the building. Were the guard dogs jumping to their death in hopes of escaping some demonic entity? What could have scared these two tough dogs that they would take such drastic measures? I had never heard such a shocking incident dealing with animals on any of the ghost tours that I had attended over the years.
Many people will not stay in this building because they feel there is something evil or demonic inhabiting the house.
I recall our tour guide telling us that a Dr. was living there at one time. He had a frightening experience when he was taking a shower upstairs. All of a sudden, the shower curtain wrapped around his whole body and he started suffocating. It was as if some unseen force was causing this to happen. It took a few minutes, but he finally escaped the tragic ordeal. Shortly, after this incident he moved out. He felt there was a strong evil presence and his life was in danger. He left everything behind.
The next person, who moved in, found all the Dr.'s belongings, including some dead animals that were preserved in formaldehyde in jars in the refrigerator. This person also left abruptly after living there for only a brief period of time.
Some people are so superstitious that they will no longer walk on the side of the street where the mansion is located. They think it is bad luck and that the spirits will follow them or try to attack them as they pass by. They avoid the street and the building as much as possible.
There were also tales of a woman committing suicide in the upstairs apartment. She haunts the bell tower of the mansion.
I stood in front of the building and took pictures. I was brave enough to go up to the front stairs and photograph the steps and tried to look inside the house. It was vacant at the time and there were no curtains on any of the windows. It seemed like a very dark and foreboding building. I sensed something sinister lurking in the shadows.
I walked around the side of the building and took photos with 35mm film and two digital cameras. It was really hard to photograph the entire mansion because the building is so huge. So, I took many different angles since I didn't have a camera that takes panoramic photos.
Many orbs appeared in several of the photos that were taken that evening.
I concentrated on photographing the top floors and around the sides of the building. I also focused on the front steps. I got several orbs in different locations. I got one very prominent orb in front of the main stairway. I also got orb photos near the turret on third floor were the woman killed herself and there were several around the side of the building.
I went to many haunted locations that night but this was the only haunted house that I truly felt creeped out and frightened by. I thought about this mansion days later after I went home. I knew that I had to return to this place in the near future. I wanted to gather more evidence.
I have visited this mansion several times after this tour. In October of 2012, I was in Denver again, so I decided to go past the mansion and take some pictures. I had been researching the mansion and I discovered an article on- line stating that the building was under renovation and it was going to be converted into a Bed & Breakfast.
When I pulled up to the building I noticed a brand new sign advertising the B & B. I decided to park and see if it was open. I was hoping that I could go into the lobby and get a brochure and check the prices of the rooms. I was excited and grabbed my camera. I thought I could finally get to see inside the lobby. I have only seen the lobby on the internet, which shows beautiful polished wood floors and a wood staircase and a huge fireplace. Unfortunately, the doors were locked. I guess it was not open yet.
Then I decided to take some pictures. I was walking around and I noticed two Volkswagen Buggs in the driveway near the carriage house. I looked up at the room that is a turret and I saw two people in the room. A woman glared down at me looking annoyed. She refused to come to the main door. The man behind her went about his business. I think they were working on the building. I guess the renovations were not complete yet. She finally left the window, after realizing I was not a threat. I walked over to the sign and it said for information I would have to go to their website.
I was disappointed that I was not able to go inside the mansion but at least I was able to get a lot of great pictures. Something kept beckoning me to go to the courtyard between the mansion and the carriage house. I was being drawn to that area for some reason. It felt as if someone or something was there trying to communicate with me. I was anticipating seeing something or someone jump out at me. It was a strange feeling. I kept taking pictures of that area. However, I did not see anything on film.
I discovered about a month later, after doing some research on the house, that the ghost of Thomas Patterson has been seen at this same location many times. He seems to linger in this area. He walks back and forth from the mansion to the carriage house. Could I have been picking up on his energy? Was he trying to get my attention? Or was there something more sinister trying to lure me in?
The Brown Palace Hotel
Denver, Colorado
10/2012
Switchboard receives calls from empty room 904, with no phone lines installed / Feminine laughter & chatter / Apparition dressed in conductor's uniform / Apparition of an old woman wearing black / Apparitions of railroad conductors & people carrying luggage / Sounds of a band playing music
Haunted History
The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa is a grand hotel in Denver. It has an atrium lobby that rises nine floors to a canopy of stained glass.
From 1937 to 1985, permanent guests lived in the twenty apartments on the top two floors of the hotel.
Henry Cordes Brown was a real estate entrepreneur who was formerly a carpenter. He moved to Denver in 1860. He purchased several acres of land in Denver, including a triangular plot at the corners of Broadway, Tremont, and 17th street. Henry Brown sold of the rest of his land on Capital Hill and made a fortune.
The hotel was designed by architect Frank E. Edelbrooke. The Italian Renaissance style building used Colorado red granite and Arizona sandstone for the building's exterior. An artist named James Whitehouse was commissioned to carve 26 medallions in stone. Each medallion depicted a native Rocky Mountain animal. He designed the atrium lobby rising nine stories high surrounded by cast iron railings with ornate grillwork panels. Onyx was imported for the lobby, the Grand Salon and the eighth floor ballroom. This was the second fire proof building in Denver. It cost 1.6 million dollars to build. $400,000 was spent for furniture.
The grand hotel featured two banquet halls, a Grand Salon, a smoking room, a ladies lounge, a men's bar and at least 18 stores.
The
